Breast cancer is one of the most frequent malignant tumor of women in Nigeria. In Nigeria, among the urban women, the numbers of breast cancer patients were increasing annually, both to aging of the population and increase in age-specific incidences. Case control studies in parts of the country have identified the factors such as null parity, late age at marriage, and late age at first pregnancy are important risk factors. It has also been suggested that western dietary influences changed the lifestyle of urban women could be one of the major causes of the slowly rising incidence of breast cancer in Nigeria. Therefore early detection and search for potential anti-tumour compounds are important in the control of breast cancer.Standard treatment modalities have improved the overall outlook and quality of life for women with breast cancer; however, the fact that more than 50% still succumb to disease highlights the need for new therapeutic approaches and identification of new therapeutic targets.